The DaVinci Kalani Crib has been our top choice for a sustainable, eco-friendly crib for many years. Here’s why, with some things to consider before buying.
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DaVinci Kalani 4-in-1 Crib
Highlights: Bestseller for more than 15 years and a favorite of the LeafScore team. Inexpensive and sturdy. Converts into a toddler bed, day bed, and full bed with relative ease.
At a glance:
Made in: China and Taiwan
Materials: New Zealand Pine, metal mattress support
Certifications: Greenguard Gold, ASTM international, U.S. CPSC safety standards
Price: $199
What we like
DaVinci’s Kalani 4-in-1 crib is our top choice for a softwood crib and is both inexpensive and sturdy, which is a rare combination.
This crib is made with sustainably sourced New Zealand pine wood, is Greenguard Gold Certified, looks great, and has performed well over many years for the LeafScore team and for many other families.
This crib has been a bestseller for DaVinci for more than 15 years and is a longstanding Wirecutter and Consumer Reports top pick, so I’m not alone in extolling the virtues of the DaVinci Kalani. What’s more, this is one of the few cribs at this price point that can be converted into a toddler bed, day bed, and full bed with relative ease.
Is it non-toxic?
The DaVinci Kalani crib is Greenguard Gold Certified, meaning it has undergone screening for 360 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and over 10,000 chemicals.
This crib is also certified low-VOCs, including low formaldehyde and low lead, but it is not necessarily formaldehyde-free or lead-free, and there is no option for an unfinished crib.
Is it sustainable?
DaVinci makes the Kalani crib using sustainably sourced New Zealand Pine, which is a consistent wood with no knots and has a relatively low environmental footprint.
However, the cribs are made in Asia, mainly in Taiwan and China. It would be great if DaVinci moved their manufacturing to the US, Canada, or Europe, where quality control and worker safety are better protected. This would also reduce overall carbon emissions associated with the crib, but it would likely increase the crib’s cost quite significantly.
Downsides
The main drawback of the DaVinci is that it can be a little fiddly to assemble. Expect it to take around an hour for someone with a decent degree of Allen key experience.
Personally, I like a good furniture challenge, but this may be hard to do when quite pregnant and/or in a rush. This crib has around 14 pieces to fit together, while some other cribs only have four or so (plus mattress support). You’ll need both the Allen key (included) and a Phillips head screwdriver to put the DaVinci Kalani crib together.
As this crib has a sleigh-like ‘roll’ to the pieces, it’s also likely you’ll have some confusion over which side faces which way as you assemble it. Other cribs are largely symmetrical, making it harder to mess up and have to remove pieces to flip them around.
The instructions aren’t always that helpful either, given that they’re largely graphics rather than written instructions. The pieces are all labelled, however, so it’s best to lay out all your pieces, bolts (which come in five lengths), barrel nuts, wood dowels, washers (two types) and all before starting.
Although there aren’t many reports of any chemical-type smell associated with the Kalani, as with all cribs not made exclusively with unfinished wood or wood finished only with food-grade linseed oil, I’d recommend letting this crib air out for a few days or weeks prior to use.
Things we love about the DaVinci Kalani crib
The good news is that once it’s assembled, the DaVinci Kalani crib is fairly straightforward to adjust. That means you can modify the mattress support as your baby grows, with stages for when your baby starts sitting up and pulling up by themselves.
This 4-in-1 crib can also convert to a toddler bed, day bed, and full-sized bed. The front and back of the crib become the headboard and footboard of a bed, meaning the conversion kit includes side rails, but seemingly no central bar for additional mattress support.
Depending on which option you buy initially, you may need to add on the toddler conversion rail and the conversion kit for a full-sized bed (View Price on Amazon). Happily, because DaVinci has been making the Kalani crib for more than a decade, there’s little chance you’re be unable to find conversion pieces when the time comes. This can be an issue with less popular cribs or those that are discontinued, leaving you stuck with something you can’t convert.
Still, if you think you’ll want to convert the crib as your child grows, my advice is to buy the conversion kits now, just in case they do become unavailable later. It’s also more sustainable to ship everything at once, and there’s a better chance the wood will match.
How it performs
The Kalani is consistently a top choice for other review sites too, not just at Leaf Score. All of us professional reviewers take note of its sturdiness and versatility, which is rare at this price level. Similarly-priced softwood cribs (and those made with composite wood) are typically far less sturdy, with much thinner legs and smaller feet. It’s also rare to find a good quality crib that will convert to a full-sized bed.
This crib is also widely available, and fairly light to ship, given that it is made with softwood rather than heavier hardwood. Despite being softwood, which is easier to ding and nick, the Kalani stood up well in tests, though keen chewers can put a dent in it.
If your baby turns out to be a big gnawer, you’ll probably want to invest in some plush teething guards. The DaVinci Kalani crib (and any other softwood crib) is likely to incur damage from eager beavers.
Size specs
The DaVinci Kalani crib measures 35 inches from the floor to the top of the front rail, which makes it comparable to low-profile cribs suitable for shorter folks like me.
Measured from the floor, the bolt holes for the mattress support are at approximately 10/14/17 and 20 inches. Setting the metal mattress support at the top level (for newborns) means a distance of just 15 or so inches from the mattress to the top of the rail, depending on the height of your mattress. In the lowest position, it would be around 25 inches from the top rail to reach the mattress.
The Kalani is made with a metal mattress support, rather than wooden slats, which could pose some problems for sagging if your child is especially heavy or if you reuse the crib for several babies. However, the crib seems to be well made, so sagging may not be an issue.
Looking for more sustainable and non-toxic crib options? The following posts may be helpful:
Color options
The Kalani is available in:
- Rich Cherry
- Chestnut
- Ebony
- Espresso
- Grey
- Honey Oak
- White.
DaVinci offers additional nursery furniture to match, including really lovely and sturdy three- and six-drawer dressers.
Warranty, safety, and recalls
The Kalani remains the best selling DaVinci crib and comes with a one-year warranty, as does all DaVinci furniture.
DaVinci has been making children’s products for more than 25 years and has a good track record for quality and safety.
That said, if you’re looking at buying a DaVinci crib second hand, be sure to check the safety recall data at the CPSC as some models (Emily, Jamie, Jenny Lind, and Reagan) were subject to a safety notice in 2015 due to a problem with the mattress support bracket. No injuries were reported, but customers were advised to stop using the crib and order a free replacement for the potentially unsafe hardware.
The DaVinci Kalani has not been subject to any safety recalls, however, so it’s safe to assume that a second hand model with all original parts in good working order should be safe for use.
Vs. the competition
| Babyletto Lolly | DaVinci Kalani | Pottery Barn Kendall | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaf Score | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Main material | Pine | Pine | Poplar |
| Certifications | Greenguard Gold | Greenguard Gold | Greenguard Gold, Fair Trade |
| Teething rails | Add-on | Add-on | Plastic, can’t be removed |
| Conversions | Crib, toddler bed, day bed | Crib, toddler bed, day bed, full size bed | Crib, toddler bed |
| Mattress positions | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Dip to pick up baby from top mattress setting | c20 inches | c20 inches | c14 inches |
| Cost | $$$ | $$ | $$$$ |
| View on | Amazon | Amazon / Walmart | Pottery Barn |
As with all softwood cribs, the Kalani is liable to incur damage from dings and scratches if not treated well, or if gnawed on by a teething child. The DaVinci Kalani appears to be surprisingly robust, however, with online reviews often noting that it is quite a bit sturdier than other softwood cribs. It’s also a lot lighter and less expensive than a hardwood crib but is still robust enough to accommodate several children in succession.
Vs. Babyletto
Like the Babyletto Lolly Crib, the Kalani is made with pine, is Greenguard Gold Certified, has four adjustable mattress positions, and can be converted into a toddler bed and a day bed. The DaVinci Kalani also converts into a full-size bed, but you’ll need to buy a separate conversion kit for both conversions. With the Lolly, the toddler bed conversion kit is included (View Price on Amazon).
In terms of design, I’m a big fan of the more minimalist Lolly aesthetic. The DaVinci feels like a lot of crib, with a more imposing, ‘thick’ look. This can be minimized with a lighter colored crib, but if you’re looking for a solid central piece of furniture for the nursery, you’ll probably want to go with the Espresso or Dark Cherry colors.
Even with the conversion kit for the toddler bed, though, the Kalani is still cheaper than the Lolly at around $220 compared to around $400.
Vs. Pottery Barn Kids Kendall Crib
Both the Kalani and the Babyletto Lolly cribs are a lot cheaper than the similarly low-profile Pottery Barn Kids Kendall Crib. Neither the Kalani nor the Lolly include plastic teething rails, unlike the Kendall.
In terms of reach from the top of the crib to the mattress, the Kendall offers the shortest distance at around 14” on the highest mattress setting. For the Lolly, this is around 20”, with the same for the Kalani, all depending on the height of the crib mattress.
Final thoughts
Overall, the DaVinci Kalani crib is an excellent choice if a hardwood crib just isn’t for you. Unlike many of the companies I recommend at Leaf Score, DaVinci doesn’t seem to have a charitable arm to its business, which is a real shame. I’d love to see it engage on this front, and to acquire Fair Trade Certification™ or similar for its manufacturing facilities.
DaVinci Kalani 4-in-1 Crib
Highlights: Bestseller for more than 15 years and a favorite of the LeafScore team. Inexpensive and sturdy. Converts into a toddler bed, day bed, and full bed with relative ease.
Do you know if the Kalani 4-in-1 crib was Greenguard certified in 2014? Or is that a recent thing? I am just wondering how toxic their older cribs are.
Thanks,
Tara Krenek
Hi Tara,
Thanks for the question!
I can’t tell from the current certifications in the Greenguard database if the Kalani was certified prior to 2019, so I’ve reached out to check. I have also asked if there have been product updates that might mean a 2014 crib could pose any safety issues. This is also a concern with older cribs, though it doesn’t seem there are any recalls associated with the Kalani. There were recalls for the Reagan, Emily, Jenny Lind, and Jamie cribs in 2015 however.
If I hear back from Davinci, I’ll post an update.
Thanks,
Leigh
Hi Tara,
Davinci got back to me, saying: “We did not officially certify our cribs for Greenguard Gold Certification until April 2015, however, the Kalani was in the first batch of cribs that got certified then. No worries, your Kalani crib still meets all the current ASTM and CPSC standards in place today. And there have been no recalls on that model.”
Hope that helps!
Leigh